NEEDHAM – With less than a month before the Democratic primary, attorney general candidates Maura Healey and Warren Tolman squared off in a debate for WCVB-TV Channel 5’s program “On the Record,” which featured several heated exchanges.

The debate, which was recorded inside WCVB-TV’s studio on Thursday, featured the two candidates sparring over issues such as gun control and expanded gaming in Massachusetts.

In a race where the candidates have shared similar opinions on a number of different issues, Janet Wu, WCVB-TV’s political reporter, kicked off the debate by asking the candidates about their backgrounds and whether it is more important to be an experienced litigator or political leader as attorney general.

“I think what’s clear and what is clear to voters is that as attorney general you’re the people’s lawyer. You’re not just another Beacon Hill politician,” Healey said. “It is important as attorney general that you be a skilled lawyer managing a 500-person public law firm.”

Healey has spent the last seven years working in the attorney general’s office, where she has served as the chief of the civil rights division and directed the Public Protection and Advocacy Bureau and the Business and Labor Bureau.

While Healey focused on her experience in the attorney general’s office, Tolman touted his eights years experience as a legislator on Beacon Hill and his work in the private sector as an attorney for the last decade.

“I think it is the breadth of those experiences, the diverse experiences, that really lend one to being a leader,” Tolman said.

During the debate, Tolman also pushed Healey on why she has not advocated more strongly for the adoption of smart gun technology, which has become a central part of Tolman’s campaign.

Smart gun technology refers to biometric trigger locks that allow individuals to fire a gun only if their fingerprint matches one the fingerprints registered to the firearm.

“This is something that the attorney general of Massachusetts can unilaterally impose,” Tolman said.

While Healey said she supports the use of smart gun technology, it would only be able to be mandated for new gun purchases.

“We need to deal with the fact that there are 300 million guns out there right now in existence, many of them owned illegally,” Healey said.

During the exchange, Healey also pushed back against Tolman on gun control, stating that she is the only candidate with experience applying regulation like gun control.

“When it comes to regulation only one of us up here has ever drafted regulation, enforced regulation or defended regulation,” Healey said. “I come with that experience. You don’t.”

Page 2 of 2 - Healey, who has been a vocal opponent of expanded gaming and the legalization of casinos in Massachusetts, also questioned Tolman’s involvement with an online gambling start-up, which he has since divested from.

Tolman, who supports the expanded gaming law, was previously listed as the director of business development for Fast Strike Games, which creates fantasy sports style betting games for state lotteries.

To date, the company has not launched a game with a state lottery or generated a profit.

During the debate, Tolman repudiated a claim made by Healey that the company “tries to get young people to gamble.”

“When you’re running for attorney general, you ought to abide by the highest standards. It is the chief law enforcement officer of the commonwealth, if you’re going to make accusations like that, which you know are false, you ought not go there,” Tolman said. “There were no young people involved in this.”

However, on Fast Strike Games website, the company states that it offers games “that broaden the appeal of lottery games, attracting younger, more affluent users.”

“I understand it (Fast Strike Games) was to benefit state lotteries, but I can think of a lot better ways to make money for the state than on the backs of young people,” Healey said.

During the exchange, Tolman reiterated his stance that he would strictly enforce the rules and regulations governing casinos if the state’s expanded gaming law is upheld when it comes before voters on November’s ballot.

“When I am the next attorney general, if the question goes forward in November and we do have casinos in Massachusetts, I will make sure that this industry abides by every letter of host and surrounding community agreements, does not engage in any predatory marketing practices or deceptive acts,” Tolman said.

The full debate can be viewed on Sunday when “On the Record” airs at 11 a.m. on WCVB-TV Channel 5.

The Democratic primary election is set for Sept. 9, and the winner will face Republican candidate John Miller in the November election.